Kids’ Online Privacy: SOUPS Conference Keynote

Last week I went to the SOUPS conference in Ottawa. As a first-time attendee,
it was a good opportunity to connect with some members of the academic usable-security community. One of the
highlights was keynote speaker
Valerie Steeves.

Steeves, sharing findings from her Young Canadians in a
Wired World research, reported results of an in-depth study of 5,436 Canadians in Grades 4-11. Based on a
survey and in-person discussions, she shared sobering findings that kids’ expectations of online privacy are not
being met. Alarmingly, 68% of respondents agreed with the incorrect statement that “If a website has a privacy
policy, that means it will not share my personal information with others.”

Steeves also explained specific ways that the corporate, for-profit internet is harmful to children. She particularly
called out commercial surveillance – for example, Club Penguin’s rules for policing other community members – as harmful
for reinforcing gendered stereotypes and setting kids up for conflict with each other.

Using quotes, she captured the frustration young people felt at being forced to agree to consent to privacy behaviors
they don’t want in order to participate with their friends.

“If we had a choice to say no, I would chose no. We can’t,
or else we can’t go on the thing…” – Young Canadians in a Wired World study participant on agreeing to undesirable
website terms.

Being able to spend time online with friends is tremendously important, so the participants were
repeatedly willing to make privacy compromises to be able to participate.

The qualitative research shared in this presentation is a powerful motivator for giving people more control over their
privacy and has an important role in informing design directions.